“Drive and pleasure is an unbeatable mixture in life, in my view,” Michael Bamberger says within the newest episode of GOLF Originals, “and I believe Mike Whan displays that.”
The highlight is on Whan, the USGA’s CEO since 2021, within the newest installment of Bamberger’s interview sequence. Whan has lengthy held a repute as a enjoyable, dynamic character, which Bamberger notes is one thing the USGA wanted within the particular person holding the governing physique’s most front-facing position.
The 2 spent the day at Palm Valley Golf Membership in Ponte Vedra Seashore — a discount tee time, at solely $18. They had been joined by a retired schoolteacher named Louise, a Palm Valley common.
Bamberger and Whan’s dialog lined a large number of subjects, from Whan’s youth and profession to his roles as LPGA Commissioner and USGA CEO. At one level throughout the spherical, Bamberger requested Whan which of golf’s guidelines he’d like to vary. Whan demurred, however his response offered an illuminating have a look at how rule adjustments are made on the sport’s highest degree.
Why USGA boss Mike Whan is true chief for this complicated second | GOLF Originals
“I had this dialog with a PGA Tour participant as soon as, and he stated, ‘You recognize, if we did guidelines’ and I stated, ‘Yeah, curious, for those who did guidelines, what would you do?’” Whan stated. “And he goes, ‘What do you imply?’ I stated, ‘Nicely, you’d most likely convey collectively proficient guidelines individuals from throughout, proper? LPGA, PGA, Korn Ferry, and then you definitely’d have some gamers there.’ He was, ‘Yeah, that’s what we do.’ And I believe, ‘That’s what we do.’ I stated that we don’t sit in a room with 4 USGA individuals and make a rule. We’ve received individuals from all totally different excursions on that, individuals from all totally different elements of the world.
“And it’s fairly awe-inspiring to sit down in and hearken to the method,” Whan continued. “As a result of individuals take into consideration a rule change and don’t take into consideration the implications of the opposite elements of the sport, they usually do. They’ve walked via all of it.”
Bamberger then recommended a rule change of his personal, making white OB stakes play like red-stakes lateral hazards, as an alternative of requiring and stroke and distance penalty.
“Having sat in a few of these instances, you simply wouldn’t need to create an unfair benefit for any individual who hits drive,” Whan stated. “You recognize, the place you’ve gotten individuals begin taking strains on a gap as a result of the as a result of the penalty is just not unhealthy.”
For extra from Bamberger and Whan, together with Whan’s ideas on probably the most difficult elements of his job, take a look at the complete episode of GOLF originals above.
